One of the driving themes at work in Call It Sleep is the theme of opportunity. At the beginning of the novel, the Schearls travel to America in an attempt to seize the opportunities presented by what David's mother calls "the Golden Land." Although the family lives in an area that many would refer to as a slum, and children's luxuries such as roller skates are almost unheard of, the Schearls enjoy many opportunities throughout the novel that they might not experience elsewhere.
Albert Schearl, David's father, is a paranoid man who seems to have a difficult time remaining at a job for any extended period of time. As David learns early in the book, his father is prone to violent outbursts and anxieties that threaten both his co-workers and himself. However, Albert never.....
